The present invention relates to a sealing gland or sealing rings used to seal the space between a rotating shaft and its surrounding housing.
Packing glands formed from piston rings have been known to be arranged in an annular slot formed in the rotating shaft and to be tensioned radially on the inner surface of the surrounding housing in order to contain the fluid medium located therein which may serve to form the bearing for the relatively rotating parts. Because of this arrangement the gland is caused by the frictional forces generated by the relatively rotating parts to be carried by the rotating member and to frictionally slide over the face of the non-rotating member. A disadvantage of this known friction seal is that the sealing effect diminishes greatly as the pressure of the fluid medium increases and as the peripheral speed of the rotating member also increases. As a result the waste of large amounts of lubricant and/or pressurized media through leakage cannot be prevented. In addition, the known friction seal means creates considerable amount of abrasion, friction and heat resulting in the premature destruction of the seal and the break down of the machine parts themselves.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a sealing system which overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a sealing gland which may be installed free of friction and abrasion and which may be used at very high pressure and velocity values. The pressure being the pressure of the bearing or lubricant or hydraulic operating medium and the velocity being the peripheral speed of the rotating shaft.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a non-rotating sealing gland which nevertheless generates an increasing pressure in the medium between the gland and the rotating or non-rotating machine members, in order to avoid or to reduce leakage.
Further objects and numerous advantages will be seen in the foregoing disclosure of the present invention.